John’s self esteem and pride rises as it is encouraged by the parson “well, its true, throw up your chin a moment so that I may catch the profile of your face better”… “ yes that is the D’urbeville nose and chin” .. this description shows that he knows of this noble family features even in the face , although he may not be a 100% correct and to rely on just the face features of John to identify him and give him a title of “ durbeville” is absurd this causes the reader to laugh in the sense of unreasonable text.
“The ancient and knightly family of the d’Urbervilles?”. These words belong to themes of both fate and rural life, and set in motion the events that change the fate of Tess Durbeyfield, the protagonist of the novel, forever.
Hardy contrasts the peasant farmer on the road with the image of a knight as well as the ways in which the parson addresses Durbeyfield. It is set in the night where John is sitting alone a sense of alienation is intended until the parson approaches. The parson begins by addressing him as “Sir John,” which begins the whole conversation, but quickly falls back into the tone used when addressing Durbeyfield who is socially inferior. “Don’t you really know, Durbeyfield…” Durbeyfield does the same: despite his discovery that he is Sir
John, it is he who calls the parson “sir” here; the ironies increase, making complex debates about class and identity as Hardy intends to portray them.
Don’t you really know, Durbeyfield, that you are the lineal representative of the ancient and knightly family of the d’Urbervilles, who derive their descent from Sir Pagan d’Urberville, that renowned knight who came from Normandy with William the Conqueror, as appears by Battle Abbey Roll?” “Never heard it before, sir!”
The parson in a casual tone informs john of his lineage and an immediate change of character is shown in John as he is generally a lazy peddler in the village of marlott.
Class in this novel bestows certain distinctions that Durbeyfield and his daughter, Tess, will attempt to exploit. Through this event, Hardy makes a very distressing observation about the human nature during the period in which the book was set. Even though there is nothing intrinsically different about him, John Durbeyfield believes that he is a completely different person because of a link to relatives in the distant past who were of a high social class; he believes he is a much better person for it; ‘As if I was no more than the commonest feller in the parish.’
Johns participation in this context allows us to look into the novel and assume what lies ahead for Tess ( his daughter)
This immediately gives the reader an understanding of the attitudes with which Hardy was faced with; the idea that people with more money were superior to those with less. Hardy is once again addressing the theme of rural life in this event, and the attitudes of the working class
the distant past who were of a high social class; he believes he is a much better person for it; ‘As if I was no more than the commonest feller in the parish.’
Phase the First: The Maiden
I
On an evening in the latter part of May a middle-aged man was walking homeward from Shaston to the village of Marlott, in the adjoining Vale of Blakemore or Blackmoor. The pair of legs that carried him were rickety, and there was a bias in his gait which inclined him somewhat to the left of a straight line. He occasionally gave a smart nod, as if in confirmation of some opinion, though he was not thinking of anything in particular. An empty egg-basket was slung upon his arm, the nap of his hat was ruffled, a patch being quite worn away at its brim where his thumb came in taking it off. Presently he was met by an elderly parson astride on a gray mare, who, as he rode, hummed a wandering tune.
"Good night t'ee," said the man with the basket.
"Good night, Sir John," said the parson.
The pedestrian, after another pace or two, halted, and turned round.
"Now, sir, begging your pardon; we met last market-day on this road about this time, and I said "Good night," and you made reply 'GOOD NIGHT, SIR JOHN,' as now."
"I did," said the parson.
"And once before that—near a month ago."
"I may have."
"Then what might your meaning be in calling me 'Sir John' these different times, when I be plain Jack , the haggler?"
The parson rode a step or two nearer.
"It was only my whim," he said; and, after a moment's hesitation: "It was on account of a discovery I made some little time ago, whilst I was hunting up pedigrees for the new county history. I am Parson Tringham, the antiquary, of Stagfoot Lane. Don't you really know, Durbeyfield, that you are the lineal representative of the ancient and knightly family of the d'Urbervilles, who derive their descent from Sir Pagan d'Urberville, that renowned knight who came from Normandy with William the Conqueror, as appears by Battle Abbey Roll?"
"Never heard it before, sir!"
"Well it's true. Throw up your chin a moment, so that I may catch the profile of your face better. Yes, that's the d'Urberville nose and chin—a little debased. Your ancestor was one of the twelve knights who assisted the Lord of Estremavilla in Normandy in his conquest of Glamorganshire. Branches of your family held manors over all this part of England; their names appear in the Pipe Rolls in the time of King Stephen. In the reign of King John one of them was rich enough to give a manor to the Knights Hospitallers; and in Edward the Second's time your forefather Brian was summoned to Westminster to attend the great Council there. You declined a little in Oliver Cromwell's time, but to no serious extent, and in Charles the Second's reign you were made Knights of the Royal Oak for your loyalty. Aye, there have been generations of Sir Johns among you, and if knighthood were hereditary, like a baronetcy, as it practically was in old times, when men were knighted from father to son, you would be Sir John now."
"Ye don't say so!"
"In short," concluded the parson, decisively smacking his leg with his switch, "there's hardly such another family in England."
"Daze my eyes, and isn't there?" said Durbeyfield. "And here have I been knocking about, year after year, from pillar to post, as if I was no more than the commonest feller in the parish....And how long hev this news about me been knowed, Pa'son Tringham?"
The clergyman explained that, as far as he was aware, it had quite died out of knowledge, and could hardly be said to be known at all. His own investigations had begun on a day in the preceding spring when, having been engaged in tracing the vicissitudes of the d'Urberville family, he had observed Durbeyfield's name on his waggon, and had thereupon been led to make inquiries about his father and grandfather till he had no doubt on the subject.
